A state agent who raised concerns about the investigation of Iowa State athletes accused of illegally betting on sports has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the State of Iowa.
The petition filed on behalf of Mark Ludwick indicates he was fired from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation in late 2024, about 10 months after his testimony in a deposition was widely reported by several media outlets. Ludwick said the agency may have conducted an illegal search of ISU athletes using sports betting apps because the DCI had not obtained a search warrant for part of the investigation.
The lawsuit alleges that once Ludwick’s testimony became public, his bosses in the Iowa Department of Public Safety retaliated. The lawsuit describes Ludwick as a whistleblower and said he was investigated for speeding on the way to a murder scene and for trying to help a victim of domestic violence flee from her abuser.
Ludwig is suing for lost wages and benefits and emotional distress. A spokesperson for Iowa’s attorney general said state officials do not comment on pending litigation against the State of Iowa.
Ludwick was assigned to work on the state’s sports wagering prob in mid-2023, his lawsuit alleges he quickly refused to participate in the investigation after learning there might be constitutional concerns related to a warrant. DCI agents had access to a Canadian company’s software that tracks users of major online sportsbooks. A lawsuit filed by some of the athletes who were charged alleged while there were search warrants for their cell phones, there wasn’t a warrant for use of the software that flagged them as illegal betting suspects.